Return to Longbourn Blog Tour with Author Shannon Winslow & Giveaway!

It is always a red letter day when one of my favorite Austenesque authors releases a new book – so I am so pleased to share this guest blog with you today from Shannon Winslow. Her new “darling child” has arrived and it is a treat.

Return to Longbourn is her second installment after her popular The Darcys of Pemberley was published in 2011. Please help me welcome Shannon by leaving a comment to enter a chance to win one of three copies of her new novel available.

Thanks, Laurel, for having me here today. It’s always a pleasure to visit Austenprose, especially when I have a new story to share!

Following last year’s publication of For Myself Alone, I longed to return to my first love, to the world of Pride and Prejudice. Even after tying up lots of loose ends in The Darcys of Pemberley, there were interesting avenues left to explore.

Yes, Elizabeth and Jane are well settled, and it would be pleasant to visit them again. As for Lydia… well, that’s another story. But I was chiefly intrigued by what lay ahead for the other two Bennet daughters. With her expiration date quickly approaching, Kitty is desperately looking for a husband.

She fretted over being already almost twenty with no prospects for marriage immediately apparent…(The Darcys of Pemberley, epilogue)

Mary, however, has pragmatically moved on with her life, putting her hard-won skills to good use as governess to the new family at Netherfield.

Thus, well seasoned by time, practice, and renewed dedication, she made great strides toward the standard of the truly accomplished young woman she had always aspired to be…(The Darcys of Pemberley, epilogue)

Then disaster strikes; Mr. Bennet dies. So, what will become of the Bennet ladies?

If you remember, Mr. Collins met a premature end in The Darcys of Pemberley. What you may not recall is that he had a younger brother (as revealed in that book and in the preview post for RTL here at Austenprose). You will find Mr. Tristan Collins far more agreeable (and swoon worthy) than his brother. And, to Mrs. Bennet’s delight, he turns out to be single. We first meet him in the prologue:

The letter from London was a true Godsend. He knew it the instant it arrived, and just as quickly determined what he must do. Now the fertile Shenandoah Valley of Virginia – which until so recently had encompassed all aspects of his life and every hope for the future – lay half an ocean behind him, the distance widening with each passing day.

As the creaking timbers of the deck dipped and rolled beneath his feet, Mr. Tristan Collins kept one gloved hand ready on the rail. He had long since overcome his initial discomfort with being at sea, to the point where his legs had learnt to compensate for the perpetual movement without any conscious effort.

“Mr. Collins, sir,” said the cabin boy, coming up behind him. “Capt’n says won’t you take supper with him?”

The distinguished young gentleman with sandy hair turned into the chill wind to answer the lad. “Thank you, Patrick,” he said with a wan smile. “Tell the captain I shall be along directly.”

Pulling his great coat more tightly about his person, he turned his gaze aft once more, to where the sun had recently sunk below the western horizon. He had no idea what he expected to see. There was nothing there, other than a fading glimmer of daylight and three thousand miles of cold, roiling brine – an impenetrable barrier, seemingly. But would only half an ocean be enough to keep the ghosts he left behind in America at bay… or to keep his own thoughts from forever flying back, like pigeons returning to their roost?

No, he would not feel truly secure until he once more set foot on the reassuring ground of his native country. In England, he would start again.

Hmm. I wonder what – or who – he has left behind in America. I wonder what he’ll think of Longbourn… and of its female occupants. Will he turn them out of the house, or obligingly fall in love with Kitty… or Mary?

The book is called Return to Longbourn, but I could just as easily have been named Netherfield or Pemberley in the title instead. I hope you’ll come along as we revisit all our favorite P&P places and people, come alive again between the pages.

Author Bio:

Shannon Winslow specializes in writing fiction for fans of Jane Austen. She first garnered attention as a finalist in the Jane Austen Made Me Do It short story contest, with her entry titled Mr. Collins’s Last Supper. The 2011 publication of her popular debut novel, The Darcys of Pemberley, further cemented her place in the genre, being particularly praised for the author’s authentic Austenesque style and faithfulness to the original characters. A stand-alone Austen-inspired story, For Myself Alone, followed in 2012. Now Return to Longbourn continues Winslow’s Pride and Prejudice saga, serving as the sequel to her own sequel.

Her two sons grown, Ms. Winslow lives with her husband in the log home they built in the countryside south of Seattle, where she writes and paints in her studio facing Mt. Rainier.

Enter a chance to win one of three copies available of Return to Longbourn, by Shannon Winslow, by leaving comment about what intrigues you about reading a sequel to Pride and Prejudice by 11:59 pm, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Winners to be announced on Thursday, March 14, 2013. Print copies shipped to US addresses and ebook internationally. Winners choice. Good luck!

What is intriguing t o me about this book is that it sounds like we leearn more about Mr. Collins family and I am interested in that I also think that Mary should have been the bennet sister for him not Elizabeth

“Return to Longbourn” sounds fantastic! Please enter me for the giveaway for this wonderful book since I have been looking forward to reading what happens to the Longbourn ladies! Shannon congrats on your new darling book!

I am always interested in reading sequels to P&P. It is one of my all-time favorite books, and to revisit the world of Elizabeth and Darcy is a treat beyond measure. I am currently even more anxious to explore sequels because one of my students (a 10th grader) has just started reading P&P, and one of her first questions to me was “can I write fan-fiction for this?” After getting over the giggles that ensued, I informed her that there is plenty of “fan-fiction” – and gorgeously written, professional, “official” fan-fiction at that! – for her to explore in the form of prequels and sequels.

Has any author in literary history inspired so many sequels, prequels, and re-imaginings than Jane Austen? Three of my very favorite P & P characters are Mary Bennet, Anne DeBourgh, and Charlotte Lucas. I have often mused about how they would fare beyond the final chapter because I have hoped much better for them and identify with their plights. Thank you for your generous give-away offer! (I’m just beginning Mr. Collins’s Last Supper so I can gauge your style) Best wishes and congratulations on your latest title.

Well, Jeffrey, you’ll be glad to know that I rescued Charlotte and Anne in The Darcys of Pemberley (although, if you’re reading Mr C’s Last Supper, you already know part of that story). And this book is all about redeeming Mary – to be a better person and have a better life. I’m always “anxious to restore everybody, not greatly at fault themselves, to tolerable comfort”!

I will definitely add any P&P sequel to my reading list – and this one looks especially interesting. The characters are more alive than ever, and its nice to not have to say goodbye to them once you’ve finished P&P (even if you’ve read it 10+ times!)

For the most quality time with Darcy and Elizabeth, I’d recommend my first P&P sequel – The Darcys of Pemberley. It’s the story of 2 love affairs – D&E’s romance after marriage (and, yes, I do believe in romance after the wedding as well as before!) and the courtship of Miss Georgiana. Although I ended up including Darcy and Elizabeth far more than I expected in this second sequel, they are in supporting roles.

Ms Winslow has one marked advantage over Miss Jane Austen: she obviously has overheard men talking when (they thought!) no lady was present.

I too have thought often that Mr. Collins could have avoided a great deal of embarrassment by setting his sights on his Cousin Mary rather than Jane or Elizabeth. Like so many of us, unfortunately, he overrated his own eligibility. On the other hand, he got a very good bargain by marrying sensible, practical Miss Lucas!

“Return to Longbourn” sounds like an enthralling book. Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy!

Sounds like you are alluding to the fact that JA is famous for never writing a scene that she could have no personal knowledge of (like two men talking with no ladies present). So you’re right; I have the advantage in that I have no such scruple!

I think most every lover of P&P longs to spend more time with the people we have come to know and love… and to hear more about them as well… We don’t want the story to end, and therein lies the fascination with Sequels! I became acquainted with Ms. Winslow through Laurel Ann’s blog and find her writing much to my liking… I have delighted in her other three books/stories, and look forward very much to reading this one as well!

I am intrigued by reading a sequel to the Pride and Prejudice story because when I connect with a story and love the characters, I long to know the next step in their lives! I can’t imagine the story ending at the cover, but it must go on! From this review, I look forward to reading something of Ms. Winslow’s I like the style of her writing from what is quoted above and would like to pursue more of her books.

If you want a somewhat larger sample of my writing (while you’re waiting to see if you’ve won a book!), I hope you’ll look for my short story: Mr. Collins’s Last Supper – a tongue-in-cheek tale of how the pompous clergyman discovers (too late) why gluttony is considered one of the seven deadly sins.

What intrigues me about reading a sequel to Pride and Prejudice… finding out more about our favorite characters, such as “missing scenes” or how they would react under new or different circumstances. I still chuckle about Mr Collins’s last supper!

Congratulations Shannon! You have captured my interest. I am so excited to read your new book. I love getting a chance to spend more time with Elizabeth and Mr Darcy! And I can’t wait to get to know the new heir to Longbourn!!

I did not ever imagine that I would be fascinated by a book that would have a Collins as the main character, and yet, here I am enthralled by such a book. What a joke, as Lydia might say, to think that there is hope for the Collins clan! :)

You’re not the only one who had to be convinced, Aimee. As I say in the book: Although marriage was always her object, according to Kitty’s way of thinking, being wed to anyone by the name of Collins could not possibly be agreeable!

I’m interested to see how Kitty develops. Mary has always seemed set in her ways to me, but at the end of Pride and Prejudice, Kitty seems more embryonic. We know she is turning away from Lydia’s example and spending more time with her elder sisters, but haven’t gotten to see her full development. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of woman she will be.

Hmmm… swoon worthy Mr. Collins? Intriguing. I would say, “how is that possible that two brothers could be so different,” but I just need to think of Edward and Robert Ferrars, Tom and Edmund Bertram, or Capt. and Henry Tilney. I guess Mr. Collins can have a brother completely opposite himself!
Laurel, I liked the intro reference. How appropriate to name this book Shannon’s “darling child” :)

I was just discussing your book Darcy’s of Pemberly with a student at my middle school. These students are starting a book club and their 2nd book to read is P & P. At this, my interest was engaged. One of the members came to my desk and began to share her new found love of Jane Austen (it makes my heart sing to hear someone from the 8th grade discover the beauty of our beloved Jane), and we had quite a lively discussion on all things Jane-y. I told her about this fantastic world of Jane’s fanfiction and spent a moment sharing with her the story of Shannon’s. She was very excited to find a copy and dive in to the continuation of an already beloved tome. Thanks for writing!

I AM flattered! Thank you for sharing this, Debbie! It’s so encouraging to hear back from readers, to know that they liked one of my books enough to recommend it to others. And isn’t it fantastic that our timeless Jane Austen is reaching yet another generation?

I admit that I haven’t visited Jane Austen’s world since the days of my English degree (with the exception of movie renditions). I recently became a member of the Jane Austen FB site which brought me to your link and to your writing. As my published writing doesn’t yet include the accomplishment of a novel, I am inspired. A book seems such a monumental project. Your recent rendering “Return to Longbourn” sounds like another amazing creative leap. If the excerpt is anything to go by, I’d wager the book is a lovely read.

Oh your books sounds lovely, Shannon! I have especially looked forward to this after I finished “The Darcys of Pemberley” and now i can’t wait to get my hands on your new book! The book can only be good — Mary and Kitty — who is up for a love match this time? And the new Mr. Collins? I do wonder about him, will he be as horrible as his brother? Or will he be wonderful and the answer to Mary or Kitty’s daydreams?

what i find intriguing? that it’s another Shannon WInslow authored sequel = a winning read ! Shannon’s a JA *Star writer for this reader !! and a timely publication for a P&P during this 200th anni celebration :)) well done !